AN ARMS dealer dubbed “the Merchant of Death” was jailed for 25 years yesterday.

Former Soviet officer Viktor Bout was caged on terrorism charges in New York.

He was arrested in Thailand while trying to sell US agents posing as Columbian terrorists £12million of weapons, including surface-to-air missiles.

The Russian foreign ministry called the sentence “unfounded and biased” and pledged to seek his return home. Bout – who is believed to have a £4billion fortune – has insisted he is a legitimate businessman.

US district judge Shira Scheindlin could have given Bout a life term.

But she said: “But for the approach made through this determined sting operation, there is no reason to believe Bout would ever have committed the charged crimes.”